Page 56 of The Queen
“Tell me,” she insists.
“When I was little, I wanted to be a lawyer, like my mum. Then I found out that she worked on the wrong side of the law, and that dream faded slightly, but it made me realise that I was never going to be anything but their son.”
Eliza nods, her expression softening. “And now?”
“Now,” I pause, searching for the truth in the chaos of my heart. “I want to protect this—you, the guys, what we’re building.”
She leans in closer, her breath warm against my cheek. “We’ve got a lot riding on us. More than most could handle.”
“Maybe that’s why we’re good at it. We’re built for the hard stuff, for the fight.” It’s as close to poetry as I get, raw and honest.
Her lips curve into a smile, but it’s edged with steel, with the knowledge of blood spilt and choices made in the dead of night. “Yeah, we are.”
Our conversation drifts, words weaving through our fears, retracing our desires like tracing patterns in fogged glass. There’s something about talking to Eliza that makes the future seem possible, even if it’s just for a second.
“Sometimes I worry,” she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper, “about what it would take to stop us, to break us apart.”
“Nothing will,” I say with a certainty that surprises even me. “We’re too stubborn to let anything get in the way.”
Her laugh is sad, and it cuts me deep. “That’s probably what my mum and dad said.”
I reach out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin is smooth under my touch, and I wonder how someone so beautiful can be so ready to stand with me, to bleed with me.
“If it helps any, I don’t have any jealous lovers waiting in the wings to off you. Do you?”
Her eyes widen but then she takes it as it was meant and giggles. “No. Don’t think so. I’ve been very guarded my whole life.”
“Same.”
Eliza leans back, her emerald eyes flickering when she sighs. “Sometimes this life can be suffocating.”
“Pressure’s a bitch.”
“Exactly.” Her hands gesture as if she’s holding the weight in her palms. “I can’t slip up, not even a little. Dad’s grooming me to take over, but it’s more than that. It’s like I have to be flawless, unbreakable. It’s not about wanting to; it’s about having no other choice.”
Her words hit hard, and I nod, feeling that familiar twist in my gut. “I get that. For me, finding my place, figuring out who I am outside all this—“ I wave a hand around the room, encompassing the townhouse that reeks of old money and blood debts—“it’s like trying to read a map with no names. I’m supposed to be the tough guy, right? Mafia next-gen. But what if there’s more to me?”
“Is there?” Eliza asks, her voice low and challenging.
“Maybe.” I shrug, a half-smile playing on my lips. “Maybe I want to be someone who doesn’t have to look over his shoulder every five seconds. Someone who can love fiercely without worrying about a target on his back or hers.”
“Love fiercely, hmm?” She smirks, and I catch a glint of admiration. Or is it a challenge?
“Absolutely.” I lean closer, our knees brushing. “Someone’s got to show you how to live a little dangerously.”
“Watch it, Ollie,” she says, but her laugh tells me she’s not really mad. “I might take you up on that.”
“Promise?” My voice is low, teasing, and I can almost taste the heat between us like it’s something alive.
“Let’s just say,” Eliza replies, her breath warm against my cheek, “I’m open to persuasion.”
I pull her close, arms wrapping around her slender form, feeling the heat from her body. The room is still, save for our breathing, heavy with the weight of our confessions.
Her body presses against mine, the curves fitting against me like we’re made for each other. We’re two pieces of a puzzle that the world never wanted to fit together, but here we are, making our own picture.
I look down at her, staring into those green eyes that have seen too much. She’s a Queen in this gritty kingdom we call home, and I’m one of the men who stands by her right there where I belong.
“Whatever’s waiting for us out there,” Eliza whispers, her voice steady despite the chaos that’s always lurking, “we’ll hit it back twice as hard.”
